


no need for any interfering

by Crykea



Category: Rusty Quill Gaming (Podcast)
Genre: Arguing, Implied/Referenced Self-Harm, Past Relationship(s), Rewrite, downtime, its mostly the same but with slight changes, kinda??, relationship is only referenced in passing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-27
Updated: 2020-11-27
Packaged: 2021-03-09 20:06:51
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,604
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27731995
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Crykea/pseuds/Crykea
Summary: When they get back from the Shoin Institute, Hamid and Zolf argue and Hamid learns maybe a bit more about what Zolf has had to go through in the past years.
Relationships: Hamid Saleh Haroun al-Tahan/Zolf Smith (past)
Comments: 1
Kudos: 14





	no need for any interfering

**Author's Note:**

> Wow it’s really been a while since I’ve written anything lol but here you go I’ve been trying to practice my fic writing again by knocking things off the good wip list. Hope ya enjoy!

The cell was small, dark, and cramped and Hamid couldn’t seem to get himself in a comfortable position. He figured it was likely nighttime based on how exhausted he was, but to be fair, it wasn’t as though he’d been able to get much sleep in recent days, and the… visit to the Shoin Institute was damn well tiring. Azu and Cel were talking together passing a bottle between themselves. Through the dim filtered light, Hamid watched Cel rock precariously over the side of their makeshift ceiling hammock as they handed the alcohol back to Azu.

Zolf sat collapsed against the wall in the corner of the cell, forehead resting against his metal legs. His hair,  _ much _ shorter than it had been back when--, flopped lightly over his forehead. His eyes were closed, but Hamid could tell Zolf was awake. They’d spent too long together travelling and fighting for Hamid not to be able to pick up on the dwarf’s tells. Though, he’d developed new ones and lost old ones.

Things were strange. For Zolf, it had been years since Hamid had last spoken to him, but for Hamid, it was not nearly as long. Things hadn’t been too great when they’d last spoken. Sure, their falling out had been before Zolf left the group-- that one could be blamed on Bertie-- but Hamid still felt a little responsible and a lot guilty. He chewed his lip. After their shouting match at the institute, Zolf hadn’t spoken to him unless necessary. Maybe Hamid should talk to him. In the spirit of team morale and all that. As the leader. Or something. His nails tapped nervously against his pant leg.

“Hamid, what in the hells are you doing?” Hamid jumped. He hadn’t noticed that Zolf had opened his eyes to look back at Hamid-- Oh  _ gods _ he’d been staring hadn’t he. His eyes were piercing, but he hadn’t moved his head much. His voice was muffled in a tinny sort of way where his mouth was held to his legs. Azu stopped talking mid sentence behind him, but quickly cleared her throat and picked up again a little bit louder than before. Conspicuous.

“Oh, I--uh,” Hamid started, he dragged a hand down his jaw, exhaling loudly. Hamid awkwardly walked over to Zolf and plopped down onto the ground beside him. For some reason, his kneecaps felt like they were made of electric eels. “I wanted to talk”

“So you spent the last twenty staring at me because you wanted to  _ talk _ ?” Zolf scoffed quietly, making Hamid wince. “Well, go on then. Say your piece.” Zolf sat back to face Hamid, a bored expression on his face as he gestured at him to speak. Hamid took a deep breath.

“I wanted to… apologize. I took charge back there because I felt like I needed to… prove something to you-- prove that I’d changed since I last saw you. I’m not the little clueless halfling you knew. Even though it’s only been a couple weeks. For me, I mean.” Hamid sighed. “I don’t need to be babied. I can take care of myself.”

“One thing hasn’t changed, for sure. That, Hamid, sounded nothing like an apology.” Hamid winced, but Zolf carried on, holding up a hand so Hamid won’t interrupt him. “And I never acted like you were a child. I know more about this situation than you do. I’ve been living through it for years. This is my mission and my team. I am the one in charge, and I’m not going to drop all of that just because you’ve come traipsing back with newfound leadership skills. You’re a fine leader, Hamid, but you’re reckless, and recklessness could get people killed.”

“You’re being unfair.” Hamid scowled, hoping the light was dim enough that Zolf hadn’t seen.

“Am I? Am I being unfair? Because I seem to remember a certain fireball killing a hoard of innocent kobolds. A fireball that  _ you _ cast impulsively. You could’ve given away our position-- we had no idea what was in that compound. And if today showed anything, you need  _ magic _ . A leader needs to protect their people in this world, Hamid, and without magic, I’d wager that you’d be the first down.” Zolf’s voice had risen slightly, drawing Barnes and Carter’s attention from where they were sitting across from them playing cards. Hamid thought he heard Cel mutter something about them to Azu from their hammock. His nails worried at a loose thread on the hem of his pants. He’d have to fix that when he had access to a sewing kit. 

Zolf took a deep breath, pinching the bridge of his nose and turning a pointed glare at Barnes and Carter. 

“Listen, Hamid,” He started again “I understand where you’re coming from. I do.”

“But?”

“But. But I have a feeling you don’t quite understand  _ me _ . You called this an adventure back at the Institute. This is more than an  _ adventure _ . This is a  _ war _ and I have the feeling you aren’t quite taking this seriously.”

“...That’s fair.” Hamid relented.

“I’m working with what I’ve got.” Zolf sighed again. He sounded so tired. “It’s been a long time since I’ve seen you, Hamid. It’s been a long time since we--” Zolf shot a pointed look at Azu and Cel who were very obviously paying direct attention to the conversation. “It’s just been a while. Things are different. The world is different. I’m different. I’m sorry that you’ve been thrust into this out of the blue, and I’m trying to be accommodating, but there’s only so much leniency I can have with you being impulsive on the job.”

And just like that, Hamid shrunk back. Yet again, he felt like a schoolboy being lectured and given a slap on the wrist. Things had definitely changed, Hamid had to admit. 

“If you want to talk about impulsivity putting people in danger, maybe you should explain why you were so readily willing to go electrocute yourself on the roof then,” Hamid muttered under his breath. He knew it was childish and petty even before Zolf shot him a glare that said ‘I told you so’. “Okay, I see where you’re coming from. I’m sorry. I’ll step back from now on. And thank you for, um, talking with me. I just wanted to clear the air.”

“No problem. For what it’s worth, I’m sorry too, but I do stand by what I said. Things have changed a lot more than I think you, and you--” He nodded his head at Azu, “might realize. Trust me, I’d know.” He gestured one hand down at the metal legs and the other hand at his hair and headband. It was then that Hamid noticed them, and he repressed a shiver.

Underneath the ruined fabric of Zolf’s shirt sleeves were dozens of thin marks. Those weren’t… Surely not. Distantly, he was aware that Cel was saying something to Zolf who was responding with an uncomfortable tone. Something about how he didn’t know what had changed him or something? Instead of listening, Hamid zoned out staring once again at Zolf. Suddenly, Cel and Azu had left their corner and come over to join the conversation. Cel put their spindly hands on Hamid’s shoulders as they sat down beside him.

“You doin’ okay, little buddy?” they whispered as quietly as they seemed able. He shook his head, trying to physically clear his thoughts.

“Yeah, I’m fine. I just--” He had no idea how to bring this up. Maybe he shouldn’t bring it up? “I just--”

“You just?” Zolf prompted, his attention back on Hamid.

“Are you… Are you okay, Zolf?” Hamid settled on. Zolf cocked his head, confused. “It’s just that it’s okay to not be okay, y’know”

“I don’t--” Zolf cut himself off when Hamid’s eyes flickered back down to the ruined shirt sleeve without his consent. “Oh for Lords’-- Hamid. Eyes up ‘ere, right? This--” Zolf waved his arm “is none of your business and we’re going to keep it that way.”

“I’m just worried--”

“Nope, I just set a boundary, and we’re going to respect it.” Zolf’s previously open expression shuttered, and he bent his legs back to his chest again. “Why don’t you go ahead and show me how much you  _ aren’t _ a child anymore and respect my decision.”

Hamid cringed back and Azu winced, likely at the poor way Hamid had handled that. A sigh came from behind him followed by the sound of someone placing cards down on the stone floor.

“You owe me another 10 silver, Carter.” Barnes said distantly and then looking over his shoulder “Hey, Zolf, don’t be a prick. And, kid? Leave him alone. He’s a grouchy son of a gun. He likes his space.”

“Don’t call me kid.”

  
“Fair enough” Barnes relented, his hands up in a placating gesture. “Just back off alright? Or this quarantine is going to be a lot more uncomfortable than it needs to be.”

Zolf grumbled from where he was sitting and turned toward Azu, pointedly starting a conversation that didn’t include Hamid.

“Sorry for bringing it up, Zolf. I hope you’re doing better now” He mumbled as he stood and made his way over to the darker part of the cell underneath the hammock. Zolf spared a glance at him as he stood up, nodding slightly in a way that meant ‘we can talk later’. Hamid scrubbed at his eyes as he sat down on the cold stone and drew his knees to his chest. Something told him that this quarantine was going to be a lot more eventful than his last.

**Author's Note:**

> find me online @crykea/@cryke-art/@melaniegeorgie on tumblr or @cryke_art on twitter


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